SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 2006 – Page 26

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 2:19

2:19a And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish?

And who can tell whether my son will be a wise man or a fool? (TLB) ⌊Nobody can tell me that!!⌋ .
-or-
And no one knows whether he will be a wise person or a stupid one.

2:19b Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun.

But he will still control everything that I gained by my talent and hard work in this world.
-or-
Yet he will rule over everything I accomplished through my wisdom here on earth. (FBV)
-or-
However, all the things I worked so hard for on this earth using my wisdom ⌊will be his⌋ .

2:19c This too is futile.

This is also pointless.
-or-
This is just so frustrating, so hard to understand! (FBV)

© 2006 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 4:3

4:3a But better than both is he who has not yet existed,

But someone who has never even been born is still more fortunate than they are.
-or-
And it is even better for those who die at birth, (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
The most happy people are those who have not been born. (EASY2015)

4:3b who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.

No one in this world has done evil things to them.
-or-
because they never saw the evil that is done in this world. (English Easy-to-Read Version)

4:3a-b (combined)

But those who have never existed are the happiest. They haven’t seen the evil things people do to each other here on earth.
-or-
The most happy people are those who have not been born. They do not see the bad things that happen on the earth.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 5:19

5:19a Furthermore, God has given riches and wealth to every man,

Also God gives some people wealth and possessions.
-or-
If God gives some people wealth, property, (English Easy-to-Read Version)

5:19b and He has enabled him to enjoy them,

⌊He can also give them⌋ the ability to enjoy those things.
-or-
and the power to enjoy those things, (English Easy-to-Read Version)

5:19c to accept his lot, and to rejoice in his labor.

⌊Thus⌋ they receive their reward, and enjoy their work.
-or-
they should enjoy them. They should accept the things they have and enjoy their work (English Easy-to-Read Version)

5:19d This is a gift from God.

That is a gift that God gives ⌊to some people⌋ .
-or-
that is a gift from God. (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
God causes some people to experience ⌊joy with those things⌋ .

5:19a-d (combined)

And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life this is indeed a gift from God. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-

⌊But not all rich people are like that, unhappy and sick.⌋ Some people are rich. They have many possessions, accept their life the way it is and enjoy their work. This is a gift from God.
-or-
If someone has wealth and many possessions and if he is able to enjoy them as well as his work and the way his life worked out, that is a gift from God.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 7:19

7:19a Wisdom makes the wise man stronger

Being wise makes a wise person more powerful,
-or-
One wise person is stronger (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
If you are wise, you will be more powerful/influential (Translation for Translators)

7:19b than ten rulers in a city.

more than ten leaders in a city ⌊could be⌋ .
-or-
than ten leading citizens of a town! (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
than the ten most powerful/influential men in your city. (Translation for Translators)

7:19a-b (combined)

Wisdom will help a wise person more than ten rulers can help a city. (God’s Word)
-or-
Wisdom does more for a person than ten rulers can do for a city. (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 9:5

9:5a For the living know that they will die,

The living at least know they will die, (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
We who are alive know that some day we will die, (Translation for Translators)

9:5b but the dead know nothing.

whereas dead people do not know anything.
-or-
but the dead people don’t even know that.

9:5c They have no further reward,

They do not receive any more rewards.
-or-
No more good things can happen to them. (EEB)

9:5d because the memory of them is forgotten.

Indeed, people just forget about them.
-or-
Nobody remembers them. (EEB)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 10:19

10:19a A feast is prepared for laughter,

Good meals make people happy,
-or-
A good meal brings pleasure, (FBV)

10:19b and wine makes life merry,

and wine adds enjoyment to life.
-or-
wine makes life pleasant,

10:19c but money is the answer for everything.

All this you can buy with money.
-or-
and money can buy anything.

10:19a-b (combined)

Eating and drinking make you feel happy, and money can buy everything you need. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
A party makes you feel good, wine makes you feel happy, and money buys anything. (New Century Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 1:15

1:15a What is crooked cannot be straightened,

Many things that are crooked cannot be caused to become straight. (Translation for Translators)
-or-
A person cannot straighten out something that twists and turns.
-or-

⌊It is just as⌋ pointless ⌊to⌋ try and make a thing with curves to be straight.

1:15b and what is lacking cannot be counted.

And no one can count things that are missing.
-or-
If it isn’t there you/they cannot count it.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 3:4

3:4a a time to weep and a time to laugh,

⌊There is⌋ a time for weeping, and a time for laughing.
-or-

⌊There is also⌋ a time ⌊when people⌋ cry and a time ⌊when people⌋ laugh.
-or-

⌊People⌋ are sad at certain times and ⌊people⌋ are happy at certain times.

3:4b a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⌊There is⌋ a time for grieving, and a time for dancing.
-or-
There is a time ⌊when people⌋ lament and a time ⌊when people⌋ dance.
-or-

⌊People⌋ sit and mourn at certain times and ⌊people⌋ rise up and dance at certain times.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Ecclesiastes 2006